one of the wonders of the world.
ARCHITECTURE
PRE-AXUMITE
AXUMITE
MATERIALS
From the time of Yeha, they
used dressed stone as the
main building material.
Masonry stone and timber
were also employed in the
architecture of ancient
Ethiopia, although being the
oldest monument in Ethiopia,
temple of Yeha showsthis fact
clearly. The walls are smooth
with longwell cut blocks and
excellent straightness and
tightness of joints. Courses are
equal and are about 30cms
high.
THE
GREAT
TEMPLE
OF
YEHA
History of Ethiopian
Architecture
The Great Temple of Yeha was
built during the time of the D’mt
Kingdom in the 8th and 7th
centuries BC. is also known as
the Almaqah Temple because it
was dedicated to Almaqah, the
moon god of the Saba'
kingdom.
HISTORY
CONSTRUCTION
CHARACTERISTICS
The Great Temple is a
rectangular building, and it
was marked by a
double-denticulate (toothed)
frieze that still survives in
places on its northern,
southern, and eastern
façades. The faces of the
ashlars display typical
Sabaean stone masonry, with
smoothed margins and a
pecked center, similar to those
at the Saba' kingdom capitals
such as the Almaqah Temple
at Sirwah and the 'Awam
Temple in Ma'rib.
NARDOS AMARE
INFLUENCE FROM THE EAST
During the ethiopian-Sabean
period 500-300BCThe strongest
pre-Christian influence on Ethiopia
Semitic influence from South
Arabia upon the northern
highlands of Ethiopia
SABEAN
- The immigrants from Southern Arabia
brought a whole pantheon of Gods to
Ancient Ethiopia, the main one being
the god al- muquah, the symbol of this
specific religion was the disc and the
crescent and could have been seen on
the summit of the largest of the Aksum
stele has it been standing. The temple of
Yeha, is a masterpiece from 7th -5th
century BC, dedicated to a pagan
god.